When it comes to inspiring confidence, just over half (55%) say Rudy Giuliani inspires confidence personally while 47 percent said so about Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton, yet again, shows the division she causes as 44 percent said she inspires confidence while 43 percent said she does not.

None of the presidential candidates are doing a good job of convincing people to vote for them should they become their party’s nominee. According to a recent Harris Poll, Hillary Clinton leads the pack with 36 percent of adults saying they would vote for her if she was the Democratic nominee, followed by Barack Obama (34% would vote for him) and Rudy Giuliani (33% would vote for him if he was the Republican nominee). Next are John Edwards (30%) and John McCain (29%). Just one-quarter of adults (24%) would vote for Fred Thompson and 16 percent said they would vote for Mitt Romney if they were the Republican nominees.

Looking at the other side of the question, feelings seem to be stronger about which candidates Americans would NOT vote for in this presidential race. Half of Americans (50%) said they would not vote for Hillary Clinton, 47 percent said they would not vote for John McCain and 46 percent would not vote for Mitt Romney. Just over two in five (41%) of adults said they would not vote for Barack Obama while 40 percent each say they would not vote for Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards. Just one-third (34%) said they will not vote for Fred Thompson, but 39 percent said they are not sure, which is higher than those who said they would or would not vote for him.

These are some of the results of a series of Harris Polls of 2,200 plus adults surveyed online between March 2007 and September 2007 by Harris Interactive.

Among the three Democratic contenders, Hillary Clinton does better among Democratic voters and Independents. Two-thirds (68%) of Democrats would vote her if she was the party’s nominee for President, compared to 60 percent for Barack Obama and just half of Democrats (51%) who would vote for John Edwards. Among Independents, 37 percent said they would vote for Hillary Clinton, while 34 percent would vote for Barack Obama and 29 percent for John Edwards.

On the Republican side, three in five Republicans (60%) would vote for Rudy Giuliani and 59 percent would vote for John McCain. Further down for Republicans is Fred Thompson as just 45 percent of Republicans say they would vote for him if he was their party’s nominee, while one-third of Republicans (33%) would vote for Mitt Romney. Rudy Giuliani also leads John McCain among Independents (34% versus 28%).

Candidates as People and Their Political Opinions

Majorities of adults said they like Rudy Giuliani (58%), John McCain (53%) and Barack Obama (52%) as a person, while just under half (47%) said the same about John Edwards. While just 37 percent said they like Fred Thompson as a person and 26 percent said they same about Mitt Romney, it is not as if people do not like them. Rather more than half said they are not sure about both Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney (53% and 56% respectively). Hillary Clinton’s numbers shows the division people feel about her – 44 percent said they like her as a person and 45 percent said they dislike her.

In examining the candidates’ political opinions a similar story emerges – most people like the candidates’ political opinions, but the numbers are not as strong. For example, just under half (46%) like Rudy Giuliani’s political opinions while 40 percent feel the same about Barack Obama’s and 37 percent like John McCain’s political opinions and 36 percent like John Edwards’s political opinions. Again, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney are at the bottom, but again, over half of adults said they are not sure about these two candidate’s political opinions. And, yet again, the dislike numbers for Hillary Clinton edge out the like numbers but show a divide over her as 45 percent dislike her political opinions while 42 percent like them.

Attitudes toward Candidates

People agree that the candidates are intelligent people. Strong majorities said Hillary Clinton (76%), Rudy Giuliani (70%), Barack Obama (66%) and John McCain (63%) are very intelligent. Just over half (53%) said the same about John Edwards. Again, half are not sure about Fred Thompson (51%) and Mitt Romney (49%).

When it comes to inspiring confidence, just over half (55%) say Rudy Giuliani inspires confidence personally while 47 percent said so about Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton, yet again, shows the division she causes as 44 percent said she inspires confidence while 43 percent said she does not.

One issue that has come up often this campaign season is one of experience – who has it and who doesn’t. Well over half (57%) believe John McCain has experience and is qualified to be president and just over half (53%) said the same about Rudy Giuliani. These numbers are a little better for Hillary Clinton as half (49%) of adults said she has the experience while 39 percent said she lacks experience. While one-third of adults are not sure (32%), 39 percent feel John Edwards has experience and 29 percent say he does not. The only candidate where lack of experience outweighs experience is Barack Obama as just three in ten (31%) believe he has the experience and is qualified while 44 percent believe he lacks experience and is unqualified.

Candidates’ Political Philosophies

With only one exception, at least a third of adults for each of the presidential candidates are not sure when it comes to their political philosophies. The one exception? Hillary Clinton. Three in ten (31%) believe she is too liberal but four in ten (41%) believe she is neither too liberal nor too conservative. One in five each believes the other Democrats running are too liberal while one-third of adults believe they are neither too liberal nor too conservative.

On the Republican side, six in ten are not sure about Mitt Romney (61%) and Fred Thompson (62%). Four in ten (41%) believe Rudy Giuliani is neither too liberal nor too conservative and 13 percent believe he is too conservative. The maverick label may have waned for John McCain as one in five (19%) say is too conservative.

So What?

While this comparison may not be completely up to date as the surveys take place over the course of many months, some interesting patterns emerge. First, the nation is clearly divided over Hillary Clinton. People already know who she is and what she stands for politically and as a result, there will most likely not be any surprises about her. The experience label is one that Barack Obama will have to overcome – especially when compared to the rest of the field of leading contenders.

Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney have a good deal of work to do. Neither of them is well known by the American people. For Mitt Romney, this means he needs to work to catch up with the front runners before it is too late. For Fred Thompson, this means he needs to let people know what he stands for or he will begin to slip in the polls.

While the Iowa and New Hampshire primary dates are still up in the air, each is about three months from now and this is a long time in politics. How much each candidate can move the needle is unclear? Only time will tell.